Agenda and minutes

There were no disclosable pecuniary interests.

(a)  To agree the Minutes of the meeting held on 6^th November 2019

(b)  Matters arising

The minutes of the meeting on 6^th November 2019 were agreed and signed as a true record. There were no matters arising.

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a briefing note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) on the current position in relation to the draft Trees and Development Guidelines Supplementary Planning Document (SPD). A copy of the SPD was attached as an Appendix to the report with a further Appendix providing a copy of the report and associated Appendices that was considered by the Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities at his meeting on 9 December 2019 (his minute 9/19 refers).

The SPD was intended to provide technical guidance and support to the Green Environment policies set out in the Local Plan (2016) and also build upon some of the policies included in chapters relating to Conservation and Heritage and Environmental Management. The SPD, developed by the Council’s Planning Policy Team would provide a comprehensive overview of the requirements for applicants in the planning process where trees were involved. It is structured in a sequential order and covers supporting technical detail(s) around matters of:

•  Land Surveys.

•  Tree Surveys.

•  Tree Constraint Plans.

•  Arboricultural Method Statements.

•  Capital Asset Value for Amenity Trees.

•  Works to trees.

•  Tree and root protection measures.

•  Planting new trees.

•  Accessing and moving around sites.

•  Avoiding damage to trees.

The SPD continued to expand upon and support the green environment policies with the changes made to reflect the comments received through rounds of consultation on 8th August 2018 to 23rd September 2018 and 7 January 2019 to 18 February 2019, and which further augment the tree protection, tree conservation and other related policies. The continued technical support and guidance provided within the document would help all stakeholders to understand the Council’s tree protection aims and objectives and help applicants to provide the correct information and assess the right areas where tree protection and planting measures would be required, as early as possible in the planning process. This would not only save time and money but would lead to stronger outcomes for green infrastructure in relation to planning decision making.

A final period of public consultation would seek formal representations to the SPD with all responses reviewed and the SPD updated if appropriate. The SPD would then be submitted to Cabinet for approval of its adoption, at the earliest opportunity in 2020.

The Board questioned officers, received responses, and discussed the following issues:

·  The robustness of the consultation - publicised through the Council’s Website, mail shots and email shots, including which groups responded.

·  The need to ensure that developers include tree planting in planning proposals.

·  Conditions on planning approvals relating to tree planting, to be enforced.

·  Encourage maximising tree planting to meet the Council’s aspiration of one tree for every Coventry citizen.

·  The use of the SPD as a material consideration.

·  Aspire to plant 2 trees for every tree removed during improvement works/planning developments in the City.

·  The need to establish a comprehensive set of requirements to offer protection to existing forestry as astringently as there should be.  ...  view the full minutes text for item 28.

Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place)

(Note: Councillor O’Boyle, Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration and Councillor Welsh, Deputy Cabinet Member for Jobs and Regeneration have been invited to attend the meeting for this matter)

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a Briefing Note that provided the background and current status of the Very Light Rail Project.

Coventry City Council (CCC) and Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (DMBC) were in collaboration with partners to establish the West Midlands as a world-class business investment location by supporting urban public transport connectivity, developing significant supply chain opportunities and providing a focus for driving up skill levels, focusing on the development of Very Light Rail (VLR) Technology.

The Coventry VLR Project would deliver a very light weight mass transport rail solution comprising a modern battery-operated vehicle and innovative track system that was relatively simple and cost effective to construct. The integrated system would be tested at the Dudley Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre (VLRNIC) and once proof of concept was achieved, the first route most likely to be taken forward in Coventry was a route linking the railway station with the main hospital in the city, a route of some 7km. The programme consisted of 3 projects all focussing on the development of VLR technology in the West Midlands - a world class business investment location:

1.  Coventry VLR Vehicle and Track Research & Development (R&D)

2.  Dudley Very Light Rail National Innovation Centre

3.  Coventry VLR First Route

4  Vehicle Research and Development

WMG had been commissioned by CCC to lead and procure the services of a vehicle design specialist to design and oversee the build of the Coventry VLR vehicle. WMG appointed Transport Design International (TDI) in June 2018 and were supporting the design work with research focused on batteries, electric powertrain, charging, materials, light weighting, Finite Element Analysis, and the regulatory pathway for this novel vehicle. The vehicle design was well advanced and was signed-off at a Design Review Panel Meeting on the 6th August 2019. The design activity was now focused on detailed design of all components such as the car body, bogie, high voltage battery, and interior.

Manufacture of the vehicle was due to commence in early 2020 through to November 2020 when factory acceptance testing would take place. The vehicle was scheduled for delivery to the VLRNIC site, in Dudley, in Autumn 2020 for initial performance testing and acceptance, which would be complete in Spring 2021. The vehicle would then need to be tested on the new track form which was programmed to be available from Summer 2021 to commence integrated system testing.

WMG had been commissioned by the Council to lead and procure the services of a track innovation partner to design the innovative trackform with the specification for the track summarised as follows:

•  Develop a light weight, shallow form track system of modular design that could be exported to other towns and cities across the UK and globally.

•  Have minimal impact on below road surface utilities, taking advantage of the modular design to allow future utilities access.

The procurement of the innovation partner was due to be concluded in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 29.

There are no outstanding issues

There were no outstanding issues.

Report of the Scrutiny Co-ordinator

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) considered the Work Programme for current municipal year and noted the scheduling of issues for consideration at future meetings of the Board.

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) notes the Work Programme for 2019/2020.

There were no other items of public business.